


The Year Without Him

by orphan_account



Series: The Year Without Him [2]
Category: Glee
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-04-26
Updated: 2012-04-26
Packaged: 2017-11-04 08:58:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/392060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Follow up to I Tried, this story follows Kurt's year after the tragedy</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Day it Happened

_**Mercedes' POV** _

Mercedes Jones sat in her car, driving over to Kurt and Blaine's, where she was meeting with Rachel to help plan the wedding. Her boo was _finally_ allowed to marry the man he loved, the only one he had ever love, and the only one he would ever love. Smiling, she sang along to one of her favorite songs; **Bridge Over Troubled Water**. Little did she know how fitting that song would be in just a few moments. She rounded the last corner to the street of Kurt's house, and saw a police car outside. Instantly worried, she turned off the radio, slowing down as she reached Kurt and Blaine's house. Then she saw Kurt in the doorway; he looked shocked and empty, she could see as much even being twenty meters away from him. Getting out of her car, she called his name as she approached him.

However, she got no reaction. Calling his name again, she started walking faster, fear seeping in as she got a closer look. Still there was no answer from the young man.   
She sank down to the ground in front of him, waving a hand in front of those blue, empty, non-seeing eyes.   
Then she saw the police-officer who had been sitting in the car approaching, and felt a hand on her shoulder.   
"What happened? Why is he like this?"  
"Are you a friend of his?"  
"He's been my best friend since High School, and Blaine for almost as long. Why isn't Blaine here?"  
"I'm sorry ma'm, but"  
"He's gone," Kurt's gruff voice said, barely audible.   
"GONE? What do you mean boo, gone?" Mercedes refused to believe what she was hearing.   
"I mean he's **GONE** Mercedes!" Kurt yelled, tears now streaking down his face, sobs wrecking his body.   
"He's.. he's gone. He promised. He promised me he'd never leave me And now he's gone"  
"He passed in a car-accident this morning ma'm. It was a hit-and-run. As I explained to Mr. Hummel here, there was nothing the medics could do."  
Mercedes Jones was at a loss of words. 

 

_**Rachel's POV** _

At the same time, Rachel Hudson-Berry came driving from the opposite direction, she too singing along to a favorite of hers; **Need You Now**. Smiling, she recalled singing this as a duet with Puck in High School, attempting to make Finn jealous. It had worked, he'd told her on a later occasion. Shaking her head with a laugh, she thought about her husband. He loved her enough to go with her when she moved to New York to attend college with Kurt and Blaine. 

She recalled the moment of pure bliss when they announced gay marriage legal in New York, how the tears streaked down the faces of her fathers, and later on the look of happiness on Kurt and Blaine's.   
Now she was on to their house to help plan their wedding, or rather, she and Mercedes wasn't exactly needed for the planning, as much as they were there to make sure Kurt wouldn't go overboard, like he tried to in the wedding of Burt and Carole. Feeding the poor pigeons with glitter She was glad he was stopped before going through with that idea In Finn's and hers wedding, she of course had the upper hand. Meaning that, even though she hated to admit it, she herself had almost gone too overboard, too influenced by Broadway, and luckily Mercedes and Kurt had stopped her from using more money than she should. 

And then she rounded the corner. Seeing the police car, Mercedes kneeling down besides Kurt, who was still in the doorway, she was filled with dread. _'Something awful has happened'_ , she instantly though. Parking next to the police car, she ran out of her own car, not even bothering closing the door or locking the car.   
"Kurt! Mercedes! What happened?!"  
Mercedes turned to look at her, and then she saw the emptiness in Kurt's eyes, the way he shook and the shock and sadness written all over Mercedes' face. Rachel gasped, holding a hand over her mouth. Now she wasn't sure she wanted to know anyways.  
"Rachel Blaine, he's" Mercedes started, and had to take a deep, shuddering breath before continuing "dead".  
The diva turned back to her best friend, as Rachel sank to the ground, her arms wrapped around herself. 

 

**_Kurt's POV_ **

 

Kurt didn't hear Mercedes call his name. He didn't see her hand waving in front of his face. But when he picked out Blaine's name, he came to, if only just a little; just enough to manage to tell Mercedes that his life was gone. Then the tears fell, and sobs took over his body.

He didn't feel Mercedes' arms wrap around him.  
Kurt didn't hear Rachel calling his name, as well as Mercedes'. He picked out Blaine's name, spoken from the lips of his best friend.   
Kurt didn't notice anything that day. The people hugging him, crying, trying to offer some small measure of love and comfort onto him and each other was just a blur, it didn't feel real. He was even in that much of a shock that he couldn't get himself to demand to see his body. In a way, he thought to himself that this wasn't true, it was all a nightmare. As long as he didn't see the body, it wasn't true, it wasn't real.


	2. The First Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song is You Are Loved (Don't Give Up) by Josh Groban: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGLSk3AVcUU

_**Kurt's POV** _

Kurt awoke to their bed filled with some of the people from Glee. Mercedes and Rachel on either side of him, Santana with her arms wrapped around Brittany in the foot-end of the bed, Puck besides Lauren on the floor on one side, with Finn alone on the other side.   
He got up slowly, so he wouldn't wake the others, and made his way to the bathroom. Finishing up, he walked into the living room/kitchen. On the couches were Burt, Carole and Artie. He looked in the door to the guestroom, where he found Quinn, Sam, Mike and Tina.   
Smiling at the sight of all his closest friends and family, he went to the kitchen again, trying to figure out what to serve them all.   
Looking in the closet, he found out they were out of coffee, silently chastising Blaine for forgetting to by more the day before, smiling as he shook his head.

And then the events of the last day came rushing back to him.  
He screamed.

 

_**Burt's POV** _

He woke to the high-pitched, horrified, agonized scream of his son. Feeling disoriented for only a moment, he was quick to leap to his feet, storming over to his son, holding him tight. Carole was just a moment after, holding them both, tears streaming down her face.  
The others had heard him too, and came storming in, everyone but Finn stopping as they saw the utterly heart wrenching scene in front of them, their friend surrounded by his parents and brother.  
They all turned to each other, holding one another tight, fresh tears streaming down their faces, still salty from the tears of the day before.  
Burt's heart ached for his son, and he knew his pain all too well; his own wife had died in the same way. For his son to lose his husband-to-be in the exact same way was too much. What had he ever done to deserve it?  
Taking a deep, shuddering breath, he turned his face upwards. The ghost of a smile graced his lips as he envisioned Kurt's mother and Blaine meeting for the first time, the former welcoming the latter in a hug of comfort.  
"He's safe", Burt whispered.

_**Finn's POV** _

Finn had also woken to his brother's scream. Jumping up from the floor, he ran into the kitchen/living room and didn't hesitate in joining his family on the floor, holding the other three in his arms.   
Years back, he had won a brother in Kurt, and then in Blaine as well. Just a few more days and Finn would've started calling Blaine his brother. He was looking forward to that day. However, it did not happen.   
Finn's heart ached for his brother. 

_**Carole's POV** _

Carole knew how painful it was, just as much as her husband did. Her first husband, Finn's father, died when Finn was young, whilst serving in the Middle East. That pain was also one of the many reasons as to why she and Burt connected so well; they had both lost their spouses to accidents, both when their children were young as well.   
She would never want this pain on her worst enemy, and now that it happened to her second son, she was at a loss. Knowing she couldn't do or say anything to make it better or easier was not easy. She could only hope Kurt would be healed by time, just as she and Burt was.

_**Rachel's POV** _

She watched her husband, brother-in-law and parents-in-law as they sat together in a heap on the floor. She felt so helpless.   
Deciding to give them some privacy, she quietly ushered everyone into the backyard, where the couples sat down; holding each other.   
She couldn't sit still, she needed to do something. In true Rachel-fashion, she wanted to sing something; but what?  
Was there a song fitting for this?  
She looked at Mercedes, and through the tears, she could see the other diva was thinking along her lines.  
Inclining her head slightly, she hinted at Mercedes to come with her from the rest of the group. 

_**Mercedes' POV** _

She was devastated, there was no other way to describe how she felt losing Blaine. If she felt like that, how then was it for Kurt? Mercedes was "just" best friends with Blaine, but how Kurt must feel was an entirely different thing. Her poor boo.   
Her heart shattered completely upon seeing Kurt and his family on the floor, tears staining all of their faces once more.  
She thought it a good idea that Rachel got them into the backyard, to give the family the quiet they needed. She also thought that singing to Kurt, to show him they would be there for him, no matter what, was a good idea. She hoped he knew they would either way, but it wouldn't hurt to reaffirm that message.  
"What do you think we should sing for him?"  
"I'm not sure Mercedes. Do you have any ideas?"  
"Well, I heard **Bridge Over Troubled Water** in the car on the way over yesterday, before I knew of this But I sang it to him when his father was in coma, so I'm not really sure"  
"How about" Rachel did a quick thinking of the songs she knew of, " **You Are Loved?** "  
"You mean the one by Josh Groban?"  
"Yes, that one"  
"Okay. But who should sing it?"  
"I think Sam and Artie. At least as far as vocal range go."  
"Then let's do this, for Kurt"   
Mercedes went over to Sam as Rachel went to Artie, asking them to sing it. Unsurprisingly, they too found it to be a good idea. 

_**Kurt's POV** _

Kurt didn't register much. He only knew that Blaine was gone, and that he was surrounded by his parents and brother.   
"Uhm, Kurt?" he heard Mercedes say softly, not wanting to disturb them. He looked up, and saw them all stand there, barely inside the door. He couldn't manage to say something, so instead he slightly inclined his head, to show he was listening.   
"We would like to sing something to you," Rachel continued, in a soft voice.  
Looking to Sam and Artie, they began singing; Sam starting.

 

_Don't give up  
It's just the weight of the world  
When your heart's heavy  
I...I will lift it for you_

Artie took over, he and Sam singing ever second verse, with the others joining them at the refrain

_Don't give up  
Because you want to be heard  
If silence keeps you  
I...I will break it for you_

_Everybody wants to be understood  
Well I can hear you  
Everybody wants to be loved  
Don't give up  
Because you are loved_

_Don't give up  
It's just the hurt that you hide  
When you're lost inside  
I...I will be there to find you_

_Don't give up  
Because you want to burn bright  
If darkness blinds you  
I...I will shine to guide you_

_Everybody wants to be understood  
Well I can hear you  
Everybody wants to be loved  
Don't give up  
Because you are loved_

_You are loved  
Don't give up  
It's just the weight of the world  
Don't give up  
Every one needs to be heard  
You are loved_

The song ended, and Kurt didn't know how to feel. Grateful was the only thing he was certain off. He could see how moved they all were by the song and its powerful meaning. And he knew that now, more than ever, that he had their support.  
But would it be enough?  
"Thank you," he whispered.


	3. The First Week

The first week went by in the same matter. Kurt's parents and the old Glee club stayed over, only leaving in pairs the first day to get things they needed to sleep over, and Finn and Rachel and Mike and Tina brought their mattresses and brought them to the living room so everyone had a place to sleep.   
Carol and Mercedes called around to cancel every appointment concerning the wedding, and Carol started preparing for the funeral. She wasn't happy to do it, but she needed something to do, so she wouldn't succumb to the grief; just like when her husband had died. Back then, she had to take care of Finn too, so it didn't leave her with much spare-time anyways. 

All the girls and guys took their turn calling those invited to the wedding, and Burt and Carol called the family. But no matter who was calling, Kurt was always surrounded by at least six of his friends and family.   
Kurt was sitting on the middle of the couch in the livingroom, legs drawn up with his knees under his chin, arms wrapped around them.  
He knew nothing of what was going on around him. He was just sitting there, seeing nothing, hearing nothing and feeling nothing apart from a great loss. It felt like all his insides were gone and where his heart once was, there was no only a big, black hole, slowly consuming him from the inside. 

There was no point in trying to get him to eat, not even drink. He just sat there, looking like a wax-figure, not even tears in his eyes; just loss and emptiness. There were dark circles under his eyes which would never go away; he would be hunted by nightmares in the 364 days and nights to come. 

The week went by in much the same manner; Kurt would wake in the night, screaming out in terror and loss and would be held by the various members of the club and his family as he shook with the sobs that were wrecking him.   
They had managed to give him some food, but so very little compared to what he should have eaten. They hid the alcohol in the house, just to make sure he wouldn't take to drinking and they hid the painkillers as well.   
They briefly thought about giving him sleeping pills, as he only got so very few hours of sleep at night, but quickly decided against it; they would only condemn him to being trapped in hours-long night-terrors that wouldn't end until the pills wore off. 

Kurt had never been a drinker; maybe a glass of wine on special occasions, but who knows what would happen if he got desperate. Then again, at least he'd do something if that was the case.  
They all feared for him.  
His skin was an unhealthy pallor, no longer the soft skin he used to have when he stuck to his moisturizing routine. It made it look like his skin stuck to his skull, like there was nothing between.  
The bags under his eyes got deeper and darker each passing day.   
During his waking hours, he just sat there. 

Towards the end of the week, they all discussed how they would do it from then on; they all had work to go to and not everyone could take more time off from work.   
It was easiest for Burt, because he could just leave the garage to his employees, and Carol had a part-time job, and had the two upcoming weeks of.   
Rachel could not take time off, because she was slowly but surely making her name at Broadway and Finn had very important football practices which he couldn't get away from. 

But even so, they managed to set up a schedule for when they could be there for him.  
They made a list with contact information for home and work as well as dates when they could be there and when they might get off work to be there.  
The first week would be their test-run, and two days later Burt, Carol, Quinn and Puck were there, whilst the other had left to go home again. 

In the beginning they had spoken in hushed tones, but they soon discovered that Kurt could or would not hear them, not even if they mentioned Blaine's name.  
But they were still careful as to what they spoke of, just in case.

Day after day, Kurt just sat there, staring into nothingness.  
At the end of the week, Quinn and Carole drove to the nearest hospital to talk to a doctor, for they could not get Kurt to come with them.  
Both women broke down not long after they had left the house; the strain of trying to keep it together for Kurt's sake becoming too heavy a burden.   
Carole pulled over to the side, and they held each other tight whilst Ben Rector's When a Heart Breaks played softly on the radio in the background. 

They reached the hospital, and soon talked to a doctor about Kurt.   
She said she was unsure of what they could to at the moment, apart from being with him and trying to make sure he got some nutrition in him; no matter what it was, as long as it was in small doses and not too heavy.  
If it continued after the funeral, they would have to come back with Kurt.  
She also prescribed sleeping-pills for him, so they could have it at hand in case he would need them, just as long as they kept him away from them, so he would not do something unwise.

A friend of Kurt's named Daniel worked at the local funeral office, and he stopped by later that day to see if he could help out.  
That actually roused Kurt enough to be able to order a headstone, a coffin and an urn, and to tell the others that he wanted Blaine in a coffin for the ceremony, but that he  it  was to be taken to be cremated afterwards.   
He locked himself away again as soon as he'd managed to croak out his wishes; his voice rough from not having been used for anything else that screaming and some mumbling when he was having nightmares for almost a week.

The funeral was to be held three days later, and since Kurt knew Daniel, he would make sure the items were ready on time, and that the headstone would be delivered at his door as soon as it was done.

The day before the funeral, Kurt got out of the house unseen with the small, natural-looking headstone, which he had ordered to look like it belonged in the nature, and would therefor fit perfectly in their clearing.  
It was also not too heavy, so Kurt eventually managed to bring it to the clearing, along with a shovel, which he would leave for when he would return with the urn.  
He had left a note back at the house, saying he had headed out for a walk, which wasn't exactly a lie. 

Reaching the clearing, he decided after looking around to place the stone by the fallen tree, so he would be able to sit there and talk to Blaine whenever he needed.  
If he survived the trials and emptiness ahead.


	4. The Funeral pt 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song is "Without You" from RENT: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrE7mh7Emj4

At the day of the funeral, everyone was bustling around, getting ready.  
But they were all quiet, not talking to each other more than they had to.  
Kurt hadn't spoken to any of them since the day Daniel stopped by, but he had texted Cooper (Blaine's brother) making plans for what they would say and do at the funeral. 

The old glee-club had come back to be there the night before, as had Blaine's mother, the Warblers and Will Schuester; even Coach Sylvester had flown in to show their respect.   
They were unsure to as whether or not Blaine's father would arrive  as he had been informed that he was invited to the funeral of his youngest son instead of a marriage he still did not approve of  for he had not replied. Cooper had arrived at two in the morning, utterly broken and exhausted after rushing to make sure he would be there for his almost-brother-in-law.

Everyone though it was strange Kurt still hadn't fainted; he hadn't eaten anything more than a few spoonfulls of soup since the night before the accident.   
He refused  as usual  to eat anything at the morning of the funeral, and just had a glass of water; he hadn't even had coffee since back then; too many memories.

Cooper, Finn, Rachel and Burt and Carole had stayed at Kurt's place, and Coop helped him get ready for the funeral, as Kurt would not move on his own.  
He wasn't resisting; he just seemed so... empty, like he had left his body, as if it was just a shell left. No emotions in his eyes, no tears, no anything; just an empty void.

Because of the accident, they would not be able to have an open casket, and Kurt had only seen Blaine's body once, when he went to the morgue on the day it happened, so they would be absolutely sure it was him (even though he had ID on him).   
He had confirmed it was his fiancé, before walking away.   
Kurt had refused to lay his eyes upon the body since, only delivering the suit Blaine would have worn to the wedding so he could be dressed, and had purchased a red and a yellow rose to be placed in a buttonhole; the flowers representing the first rose bouquet Kurt gave Blaine, the one he had given him to celebrate him all those years ago, when he was certain Blaine would get the role of Tony in West Side Story.   
The body would be placed on a bed of rose petals, in the same colors.

Burying Blaine at a cemetery was never an option. They would never have children, so there would be none apart from their nieces and nephews on both sides that would come visit the grave after their own generation passed. Others might have thought of the grave a place they could go to in order to feel close to their lost one, but Kurt did not think of it that way.  
Blaine's family might disagree, but it was his call, just as it would have been Blaine's if Kurt had been the one to pass first. 

Kurt did not think that having a grave to go to at a cemetery would be a place to go to when you needed to feel your lost one. It felt too un-personal; just like he had never felt close to his mother at her grave, but he had when he had been home, smelling her perfume, seeing her clothes, the decorations and the things that were hers in the house.  
Because only in such a place, a place with personal touch and belongings could you ever feel that person.

He still visited her grave, and sat down there to speak to her, but that was only because he had been used to that from the day she was placed six feet under when he was so young.   
But he had still preferred to be at home, surrounded by her things.   
Of course, that had all changed when they had moved together with Carol and Finn. 

He had not told anyone about what he would do with the ashes; he preferred to keep that personal knowledge.   
Blaine was still his, even if he was dead.   
He still loved him of course, even though they had not married, and had not made the promise to love and cherish and protect each other until parted by death.  
It was such a silly vow to make; Kurt could not fathom why anyone would vow to only love their partner until they would be separated by death, but make no promises of the beyond.  
Which was why they had changed their vows, in order to make it more fitting, more personal; more them.

_"I promise to love, hold, protect and cherish you from now on, and for all eternity, come what may, I will always love you and you will always be mine."_

That was what they would have promised each other publically, though they had promised it to each other all those years ago, without actually ever saying it out loud.  
And now they would never get to say it to each other, unless there was an afterlife and they would spend that afterlife together. 

***

The church was full.  
It was not a large one, but with all the members on New Directions and The Warblers from their time in school, as well as their closest family and friends from work, University and the neighborhood, it was no wonder it was packed.   
They had been accepted in the neighborhood, and had made many friends, so all of them had made lots and lots of food for after the funeral, and the different groups of friends, neighbors, co-workers and family had pitched in on various bouquets of white and dark red roses and other flowers.   
Kurt had ordered two bouquets, in addition to those flowers and petals inside the coffin; neither of them normal for a funeral.  
One was  of course  red, orange and yellow roses, the other consisted of bright pink roses, with a single, white rose in the middle. 

The minister spoke, and then it was Kurt's turn to hold a speech.   
He had thought up some of it, changed some other parts and kept a large part of it from what he would have said to Blaine at the wedding.  
When he started to speak his voice was rusty, and he had to cough several times before his voice sounded even remotely like his own. 

"To my dearest Blaine Anderson. You were the light of my life. You saved me from being bullied, you gave me a place to belong, new friends, new songs and dance numbers, and you gave me friendship I never thought I would find in the small, homophobic town of Lima, Ohio. But what you gave me that meant the most was your understanding, constant support and love; even if it took you some time to figure out your feelings. I don't blame you for that well, at least not anymore.  
These words were the ones I would have opened with in our wedding, standing there beside you, as proud and lucky and happy as I could ever hope to be.  
Instead, I am standing in a church, by your coffin, and speaking to your body. I hope you are out there, hearing these words I so carefully thought up and wrote down and even hid from you, so you would cry even more at our reception." Kurt drew a deep, shuddering breath, hoping to keep the tears at bay for just a little longer.

"I fell for you the first time I saw you, at that staircase at Dalton Academy. I fell even harder for you when you sang Teenage Dream and looked straight at me. When we had coffee afterwards and you said told me you were gay, I was smitten, and I knew what a loss it would be to never see you again.  
Luckily, it did not take long before we met again, even if the circumstances could have been better.  
But that was not the important thing. The important thing was that you showed up when I needed you, that you took me out to lunch, that you texted me one, simple word when I needed it the most. _'Courage.'_ It's such a simple word, but it means the world.  
I got my hands on the school-picture of you  you pretended you didn't know one was missing  and I framed it, put it inside my locker at McKinley and cut out letters spelling _'Courage'_ , because it went from being just a word, to something that was ours; something that belonged to the two of us."  
Tears were streaming down Kurt's face by now, but he didn't notice; he just went on with his speech.

"And then I transferred. Our short months together were different, but so wonderful. No longer having to fear getting pushed into lockers, getting thrown into a dumpster, getting called names You provided me with a safe haven, a sanctuary, and I am forever grateful for that.   
Some of you might know that the New Directions saved my life back then, and provided me with friends. But you Blaine, you also saved my life, that moment on the staircase. Your instant acceptance, friendship and ultimately love gave me what I was sure I would never find back there; I had always thought I would have to move to New York to get what you so easily provided me with.  
Sometimes I have been lying awake in bed, thinking about how my life would have been if I hadn't taken Puckerman's suggestion I'd go spy on you, or if I hadn't stopped you, or anyone else, back there. But those thoughts have no place in my head. So instead of pursuing those thoughts further, I always turn over, hold you tight in my arm, and then I breathe in the smell of you.   
Then I fall asleep with you in my arms, and your acoustic rendition of Teenage Dream playing over and over again in my head and a smile on my lips."  
Kurt drew in another shuddering breath, not even bothering thinking about or considering wiping away his tears.

"And now... Now it's over." His voice broke then. "I I won't ever hear you wander around the house in the morning, singing Katy Perry and P!nk songs, ever feel you climb into bed with me in the mornings with our regular morning-coffee I feel lost, Blaine. You're not here; your light's not here to guide me home anymore."  
No. He couldn't break down just yet; he had so much more to say.  
Coop and Finn noticed though, and got up at the same time to be there for their brother.

When they reached him, they could see how badly he was shaking with the sobs that wrecked through his body. With a nod to Cooper, Finn escorted Kurt back down to the front-row benches, where he ended up sitting between Carole and Mrs. Anderson.   
Lost in his own thoughts and grief, Kurt didn't hear a single word from Cooper who'd stared his own speech as soon as Kurt and Finn was settled, nor did he hear anything else from all the others who wanted to pay their respect to Kurt, Blaine and their families. 

The next thing he knew was when it was at the end of the ceremony, and Cooper helped him up, as they were singing a duet together. Both had kept it a secret, so no one else knew what they were singing, not even when they were singing. Had Kurt been more present, he would have been surprised at the fact that Rachel hadn't asked or suggested that she'd sing a solo. That was a sign of how affected she was of the loss of someone who she thought of as a brother. 

The music of "Without You" from RENT started playing, and all that knew of the movie or the song started crying even harder, now knowing what was to come.   
Kurt drew a deep breath and started with Mimi's part.

_Without you, the ground thaws, the rain falls, the grass grows.  
Without you, the seeds root, the flowers bloom, the children play.  
The stars gleam, the poets dream, the eagles fly, without you.  
The earth turns, the sun burns, but I die, without you._

_Without you, the breeze warms, the girl smiles, the cloud moves.  
Without you, the tides change, the boys run, the oceans crash.  
The crowds roar, the days soar, the babies cry, without you.  
The moon glows, the river flows, but I die, without you._

Cooper took over for his part  
 _The world revives-_

For Kurt to sing the next line  
 _Colors renew-_

Before their voices soared together.  
 _But I know blue, only blue, lonely blue, within me blue._

Kurt took over again  
 _Without you.  
Without you, the hand gropes, the ear hears, the pulse beats._

For Coop to have the next two lines  
 _Without you, the eyes gaze, the legs walk, the lungs breathe.  
The mind churns!_

Kurt's voice was full of yearning  
 _The mind churns!_

As was Coop's  
 _The heart yearns!_

Kurt's heart was yearning, calling out for Blaine  
 _The heart yearns!_

Both their voices mingled again for the last verse  
 _The tears dry, without you.  
Life goes on, but I'm gone.  
Cause I die, without you._

Before Kurt  
 _Without you._

Then Coop  
 _Without you._

And lastly both of them sang the last lines  
 _Without you._

Not a face was dry when the last notes faded. Everyone's faces bore a mix or fresh and dry tears, and the women's faces all had makeup smudges on them.  
No one cared.  
After all, what was the point of caring about something so trivial?

***


End file.
